GLUTEN FREE DIET

A gluten free diet involves choosing foods that do not contain gluten from the following:

Gluten-containing grains:

Wheat (all varieties, including spelt, durum, kumut and dinkel)
Barley
Rye
Oats
Triticale, and
Derivitives of these products, eg. malt.

Food products that are sources of gluten:

Breads and cereals made from these grains
Most breakfast cereals
Wheat flour (including wheaten cornflour, dinkle, kumut, spelt)
Wheat pasta, noodles
Semolina, couscous, burghul, stuffing
Wheat biscuits, cakes, pastry, scones, communion hosts
Wheat crumbed and battered foods
Wheat pastry foods e.g. pies, pizza

Fortunately there are a great range of alternative gluten free products now available. This will enable you to make the transition from a wheat-based diet to gluten free easily without sacrificing good nutrition or enjoyment of food. Specialty gluten free products include gluten free pasta, breakfast cereals, breads, crispbreads, sweet biscuits and many others. The health food section of the supermarket, health food stores and other specialty outlets will stock a variable range of gluten free foods.

Gluten-free grains and starches:

Rice (all forms, even glutinous)
Corn/maize
Potato
Soy
Tapioca/cassava
Arrowroot
Buckwheat
Sago
Lentil/pea (besan, urid, gram flour)
Amaranth
Lupin
Sorghum
Quinoa
Millet

A gluten free diet involves a lot more than just avoiding regular bread and wheat based pasta. It is very involved. Despite this, there are plenty of foods you can still enjoy! For example, many food groups are gluten free already. The gluten free diet permits fruits, vegetables, plain meat, fish and chicken, legumes and lentils, most dairy foods, oils and margarines.

Gluten may also be present in other foods such as confectionery, sausages and smallgoods, sauces, dressings and other condiments, canned soups, stock cubes, malted and cereal drinks, yeast extract spreads, soy milk, custard powder, icing sugar mixture, baking powder, beer, medications, etc.

People with coeliac disease can buy two types of gluten free foods;

1) those that are clearly labelled on the packet as being gluten free

2) those that are determined to be gluten free by reading the ingredients of a packaged food, and confirming that each individual ingredient is gluten free, to then know that the whole product is safe.

Identifying “type 2” foods above can be an overwhelming task! Understanding ingredients is a necessary skill and must be taught properly. To help ensure you are enjoying your diet safely and you are educated about making the correct choices and enjoying a good variety of foods,, it is recommended you see a dietitian with experience in coeliac disease. Also, it is important to have access to ongoing information and support. Publications through organisations such as the Coeliac Society allow you to keep up to date. The Coeliac Society of Australia has branches in all states of Australia, and details can be found at www.coeliac.org.au. The Coeliac Societies will also be able to provide you with details of dietitians with experience in coeliac disease.

This table is general in nature. People requiring a gluten free diet should check the ingredients of every food they consume to ensure suitability.* = check

GENERAL FOODS TO INCLUDE AND FOODS TO AVOID WITH A GLUTEN FREE DIET
	Foods to Avoid	Foods to Include
Flours	Wheat flour, wheaten cornflour, bakers flour, spelt flour, rye flour, custard powder made from wheat, oat flour, barley meal, gluten flour.	Rice flour, pure cornflour (maize flour), cornmeal, soya flour, potato flour, arrowroot, buckwheat, sago, sorghum, millet, tapioca, besan flour, urid flour, lentil flour, amaranth, lupin, baby rice cereal
Bread	All bread including rye, and commercial soya bread, flat bread, wuppertaler, pumpernickel, sourdough bread, biscuits, buns, pastries, muffins, crumpets, pikelets, croissants, breadcrumbs	Rice cakes, corn cakes, some rice crackers * Gluten free bread, breadcrumbs, biscuits, rolls, cakes, pastries and desserts from allowed flours. Gluten free bread, biscuit and cake mixes. Cornmeal, polenta.
Cereals	Breakfast cereals containing wheat, oats, semolina, barley, rye, malt, malt extract, wheatgerm, wheatbran, oatbran, bulgur	Rice and corn breakfast cereals (check for malt and malt extract) Homemade muesli using allowed ingredients.
Pasta	Spaghetti, noodles, pasta, instant pasta meals (unless labelled gluten-free), couscous, gnocchi,	Rice, tapioca, buckwheat, gluten free pastas, rice vermicelli, rice noodles
Fruit	Commercial thickened fruit pie filling, fritters, choc coated sultanas and nuts.	Fresh, frozen, canned, preserved, stewed or dried fruit, fruit juices
Vegetables	Canned or frozen vegetables in sauce, commercially prepared vegetable and potato salads, commercial hot chips/wedges	Fresh, frozen, dehydrated, or canned vegetables without sauces, vegetable juices
Meat, Fish, Poultry	Foods prepared or thickened with flour, battered or crumbed, sausages, processed meats* and fish. Meat pies, frozen dinners, corned beef	Fresh, smoked, corned, frozen without sauces, crumbs or batters. Canned meat or fish without sauce or cereal. Ham off the bone Bacon, gluten free sausages
Dairy Products	Malted milks Icecream with cone or crumbs	Block or processed cheese, cream or cottage cheese UHT, evaporated, powdered or condensed milk, buttermilk, Yoghurt (check), dairy desserts* Plain or flavoured icecream Fresh or canned cream
Legumes, nuts	Textured vegetable protein products, gluten steaks Some baked beans*	Dried, canned or fresh beans, nuts and seeds, peanut butter Gluten free canned baked beans
Takeaway food	Hamburgers, pizza, souvlaki, sausages, battered food (e.g. fried fish), crumbed food (e.g. crumbed chicken), stuffed roast chickens	Steamed rice, grilled fish (check no flour), chicken (no stuffing), steak, steamed vegetables, baked potato, some chips*
Snacks	Packet savoury snacks, many sweets and filled chocolates, licorice, many frozen desserts, flavoured potato crisps and corn chips	Plain chocolate, popcorn, jelly, meringue, plain potato crisps, plain corn chips, rice crackers, most yoghurts
Beverages	Cereal-based coffee substitutes Cereal-based cocoa beverages (e.g. Milo®, Ovaltine®, Aktavite®) Soy milks* Barley waters Milk flavourings* Beer, ale, stout and lager Alcoholic soft drinks containing malt vinegar	Water, tea, coffee, cocoa, milk, cordials, soft drinks, soda water, mineral water, fruit and vegetable juices Wine (including sparkling and fortified wines), most spirits and liqueurs, cider
Miscellaneous	Malt vinegar, soy sauce containing wheat, baking powders containing wheat flour, mixed seasonings, beef, vegetable and yeast extracts (e.g. Vegemite®, Marmite®, Promite®), Many sauces, pickles, relish, chutney, salad dressing, stock cubes*, chicken salt.	Tomato sauce, most vinegars, honey, jam, peanut butter, salad dressings not thickened, gelatine, gluten free baking powder, gluten free custard powder, gluten-free soy sauce, sugar, golden syrup, Mighty Mite®, Vege Spread®, Aussie Mite® Some stock cubes, gravies, sauces and condiments*.